Red Sky at Night
by onesonglory33
Summary: Companion piece to meganimexiii's "Midnight Sun". A female 11th squad member attempts to recover and move on. Lots of pairings suggested. Many OCs. Mostly Shuuhei/OC.
1. Chapter 1

This is my companion piece to meganimexiii's "Midnight Sun" (www. fanfiction. net/ s/ 4303588/ 1/)-Take out the spaces. This is the story of Akako, my original character from her story. Hope you enjoy it. Please review.

Sorry to anyone who's waiting for me to update "Changes" but I can't seem to write it and I don't want to have the chapter suffer from me forcing it

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**Chapter 1:**

Finally I was getting to go home. I had been stuck in the real world for what seemed like an eternity. Truthfully it was only about four months but for some reason this trip seemed to drag. For someone with a life span as long as mine four months should've seemed like nothing, but this visit got to me.

The monotony of killing hollows had never been my idea of fun. Hollows just didn't put up that much of a fight. It was rare that I found a hollow anymore that took more than one blow to kill. I fully shared my captain's view on fighting and hollows always seemed like a waste of time. Although necessary, fighting a hollow was never enjoyable.

My time in Karakura Town would've been better if I didn't have to spend it with the company I had. I had been sent with Rukia Kuchiki to clear out the recent hollow infestation and make sure that all acting shinigami in the area were informed of any of the new policies. I had no personal problem with Rukia but she was never one to fight more than what she considered necessary to train. She also spent much of her time with the substitute shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki. The two of them no longer tried to hide the fact that they were together and were often much too lovey-dovey for my taste.

When I had finally gotten bored enough, I went to Urahara Kisuke's shop to make use of his underground training area. After being conned into buying something I was sure I would never need he let me train with Yoruichi Shihoin. Fighting with her was about the only highlight of my time in Karakura Town. Yoruichi deserved her title of "Goddess of Flash". She was faster than anyone I had fought previously. I was currently the fastest person in soul society, although Soi Fon refused to give me the title, not that I really cared, and Yoruichi was still always one step ahead of me. She was, by far, the best fight I had in a long time.

I was forced to train with Ichigo once, just so he could get more experience with different fighting styles, but didn't get to spar with him again. According to Ichigo I "reminded him too much of Kenpachi" and he "feared for his life" while sparring with me. I guess the fact that I never held back, just like my captain, didn't go over too well with him. I had managed to force him into his hollow form before Urahara made us stop and heal before one of us was actually killed. I didn't mind dying during a good battle, but Ichigo still seemed to favor his life.

The cycle of killing hollows, underground training and dips in the healing spring continued until even the good battles barely broke up the day. Luckily it had finally come to an end. Today I got to go home and resume the life I enjoyed in the Seretei. At the gate I was forced to wait for Rukia to finish her goodbyes to Ichigo before we could leave. I attempted to advert my eyes and ignore them as much as possible but there was only so much I could do.

When we finally got through the gate Rukia and I took off in opposite directions. She left for the Kuchiki manor while I headed for the small apartment I shared with Renji. We had been dating for some time and had finally decided that it would be easier if he just stayed at my apartment instead of traveling back and forth. I figured my trip to see Zaraki-taicho could wait until after I visited Renji. I was sure that neither Zaraki or Yachiru would notice that I didn't check in as soon as I was back.

I took my time traveling through the streets that lead back to my apartment. As boring as the trip to the real world had been, it was still tiring. I didn't feel the need to exert myself anymore than necessary, so I walked. I tucked my spiritual pressure in as much as possible so I didn't disturb anyone in the area. Relief washed over me as my building came into view. I hadn't realized how much I longed to merely be in my own home until this moment. I could only imagine how nice sleeping in my own bed again would be.

I came through the door and hung my zanpaktou next to Zabimaru. After removing my shoes I headed into the rest of the house. I could feel Renji's familiar reiatsu in our room so I started towards the back of the apartment. Quietly, I opened the door, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. What I saw when I entered he room was not what I was expecting.

Renji was, from what I could see, completely naked with a small woman wrapped around him. I was frozen in place. I tried to move, to say something, to at least make them stop, but I couldn't will my body to comply. My heart pounded in my ears and I could barely breathe. In my paralyzed state I lost the tight hold I kept on my reiatsu. Renji looked up when my spirit pressure hit him, finally realizing that I was home. He froze when his eyes met mine, cursed under his breath and jumped off the bed, bringing the sheet with him. This put him directly in front of me, with the tiny shinigami scrambling to find something to cover herself up with.

"Akako...please, please don't freak. I'm so, so, so sorry. I had no idea you were supposed to be home today. I was planning to tell you before you found out for yourself..." I could no longer tell his words apart. My heart was drowning out any other sound that was attempting to find its way into my ears. I knew he was still talking but all I could do was stare blankly at the bed. Suddenly I was broken out of my stupor by Renji's hot hands on my arms. I snapped. My hand shot out and punched him in the face as hard as I could.

"Don't you dare fucking touch me Renji!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The girl on the bed shook as I released the full force of my spiritual pressure. "How could you?! I was gone four fucking months and you couldn't even make it that long?! And as if it wasn't bad enough you were cheating on me, you had to go and do it in _MY_ bed?! You're a fucking asshole!"

I had lost it. In my head I debated the most painful ways to kill him. I was slightly upset that I didn't have my zanpaktou with me but that didn't matter. My time in the second squad had trained me in hand to hand combat. I could easily assassinate someone with my hands in the same amount of time it would take me to do it with a blade. At the moment I could think of at least a dozen different ways to violently murder him.

I looked down to see that Renji was still on the floor where he fell when I hit him. The girl was still frozen in place by my spiritual pressure alone. The fear in her eyes made me sober slightly. I didn't want to be tried for murder, no matter how much better his death might make me feel.

"Put clothes on and leave before I do something I will regret later." I stated through clenched teeth while leaving the room.

I stood in the living room, facing the window even though my eyes were tightly closed, attempting to do my best to calm myself. I went through every breathing exercise I knew until I at least had control over my reiatsu. I heard the girl pass behind me and leave as fast as she could, muttering an apology on her way out. From what I could tell of her spiritual pressure she wasn't even a ranked officer. I almost felt bad for releasing the full force of mine on her...almost. I could tell Renji had stopped across the room behind me.

"Akako, I really am sorry."

"Shut up Renji. Just tell me something."

"What?"

"When did this start?"

"'bout a month after you left."

" Who is she?"

"Her name's Uta. She's a member of the sixth."

I couldn't help the manic laugh that shook my body, "Sleeping with your subordinates." I shook my head and continued, "Was she the only one?"

"I wish I could tell ya she was, but no."

"How many?" At this point I had almost completely removed myself from the conversation. I was just interrogating someone for information. Each answer still stung, but I needed to know the answers. Between anger and being emotionless, emotionless made it hurt less.

"Five, I think, but she was the only one that was more than once."

At his answer a silence fell over the room. We stayed like that for a moment before I started to leave.

"I need to get out of here. Take your stuff and find somewhere else to stay. I don't want to see you when I get back. There's no guarantee I'll be able to calm myself if I see you again later."

I wasn't sure where I planned on going but I knew I had to go somewhere. I walked until I found myself at Urahara and Yoruichi's underground training area in the seretei. I figured it was probably a good idea to take out some of my aggression before heading anywhere else and headed inside. I realized once there that my zanpaktou was still hanging on the wall in my apartment. I decided to destroy some of the landscape without it and proceeded to take out my anger on the nearby rock formations. Once I was as physically tired as I was mentally I decided to stop. I looked down to see that my hands where bright red with my own blood. I watched the crimson liquid travel down my pale skin and drip to the ground. I was not in the state to care if I was injured.

Without bothering to even clean my wounds I headed to the top of Soukyoku Hill. Once there I sat on the ground overlooking Soul Society with my knees curled up to myself. I didn't care that I was getting my own blood all over my clothing. I could feel the tears running down my face but didn't care enough to attempt to remove them.

My entire body felt like it had shut off. I wasn't sure how long I sat there before I heard someone call my name from behind me. I stayed where I was, unable to get myself to respond to the familiar voice. I was afraid that if I did anything, anything at all, that my emotions would take me over again. I forced myself to look up when he finally got to me.

"Akako, are you alright?"

I forced myself to shake my head. I was far from alright at the moment. I was glad it was Shuuhei that found me though. I'd known him since we were in the academy, so I knew he wouldn't push me for answers.

"What happened to your hands?"

I looked down to see him gently turning my right hand over in both of his. Most of the blood had combined with the dirt and dried onto my skin. He looked up to my face for a moment but I was still fascinated with my hands. When he realized he wasn't going to get an answer out of me he began to move.

"Come on, let's get you to Retsu."

Without asking if I could stand he picked me up and carried me to the fourth squad. When we got the he placed me on a bed and went to tell Unohana-taicho what he knew. I tuned out their conversation and went back to flexing my hands and feeling the pain shoot through my arms. I knew I had at least a few fractures in each hand, and then there was the fact that my skin was torn to pieces. As feeling started to come back to my body, I realized just how dumb of an idea taking out my aggression without a weapon had been.


	2. Chapter 2

happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeeeee, happy birthday to me

yay i turn 20 today! i was gonna post a zemxy story since it is also zemyx day but after reading the new bleach manga last night i had the urge to write chapter 2 instead. so happy zemyx day to any zemyx fans out there and yay for shuuhei's released zanpaktou for anyone who reads the bleach manga

so yeah...chapter 2. hope you enjoy it. please review. hopefully the next few chapters will be less emo.

oh yeah and again this is a companion piece to meganimexiii's fanfic. if you want to read it the link is on chapter 1. also i am no where close to owning any of the bleach characters. figured i'd put that one in there too while i was at it.

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**Chapter 2:**

Retsu kept me in the fourth squad building for two hours after Shuuhei carried me in. She methodically cleaned and healed my wounds, speaking softly with me the whole time. When she was done she scolded me for injuring myself and left to get bandages. When she left the room Shuuhei moved from the position he had been holding in the corner, to join me on the bed.

"How did you find me?" I asked quietly.

He took my small hand in his and ran his rough fingers over my freshly healing skin.

"I ran into Renji." I felt my body tense at his name. He paused and smoothed his hand over mine until he felt me relax. "He told me what happened and said you took off. I tried to find you but I couldn't sense your spiritual pressure anywhere so I just started searching places I thought you might be. I was on my way to check Soukyoku Hill again when your reiatsu returned. I knew you liked to go there to think so I went there first, but of course you weren't there yet. I was so relieved when I found you but you were in much worse condition than I expected." He held my hand up to emphasize his point.

"I've lived through worse."

"True, but that was in battle, this was completely different. And I wasn't just speaking of your physical condition. You had me seriously worried there for a while."

"I'm sorry I made you worry."

At that Unohana walked back into the room, arms full of supplies. Shuuhei stood and took up his position against the wall again. She gave him a gentle smile before turning back to me.

"I'm going to apply this cream to your hands and arms then bandage them. The cream will help heal the wounds the rest of the way and will reduce the scarring. I healed your bones myself but this part takes some time. I'm going to need you to come see me everyday so I can change the bandages and check how you're healing."

I nodded and she began spreading the medical cream on my skin. Everywhere it touched heated and tingled. I could almost feel the new cells forming. She quickly followed herself up with the bandages. Once they reached my elbows she stood, cleaned up after herself, and told me I could leave. Shuuhei lead me out of the building and began guiding me away from the fourth.

"Do you want me to take you back to your apartment?"

"No, I don't think I can go back yet."

"Would you rather stay with me tonight?"

"If you don't mind, I'd prefer that."

He nodded and turned to go to his apartment. His apartment was much nicer than mine. His position as a Lieutenant and Acting Captain got him much better rewards than my position as a fourth seat. Granted he wasn't making much more than I was, he got more freebies. He opened the door and guided me into the living room. One there he turned and appraised my attire.

"We need to get you into something less...bloody. You could probably use a shower too."

I looked down and realized that I was still wearing my stained shihaksho and had dirt from the rocks plastered to my skin. I nodded and followed him towards the bathroom. Abruptly I came to a halt.

"Wait...this is all I have."

"True. Um...how about you go get cleaned up and I'll find you something to put on. Whatever I find is gonna be much too big for you but at least it'll be clean. I'll just leave clothes on my bed for you and close the door. You use the bathroom that's connected to it."

"Thank you, Shuuhei, for everything."

"No problem. Besides, I owe you. You were there for me more than once back in the academy, this is the least I can do."

"Thanks."

"Alright, I'm gonna get you clothes and then I'll be in the kitchen. Come get something to eat when you're done."

With that he shut the door. I turned on the water and moved back to the mirror while I waited for the shower to heat up. I looked like hell. No wonder everyone was worried about me. I tried to get some of the dirt off my face but there was no moving it. I was going to have to wait until I was in the shower to scrub it off. I ran my hand under the water to test the temperature, luckily the bandages Unohana had put on me were waterproof. It was bearable so I decided to get in.

I stripped down and got into the almost scalding water. I let it burn its way down my back and felt it working at the muscles I hadn't realized were tense. I scrubbed roughly at my skin hoping that the hot water would finally make it release its hold on me. Once I was as clean as I thought I was going to get I stood back in the water. As the water ran over my face and hair the fact that I was alone finally hit me. For some reason this caused the emotions of the day to come back. Maybe it was the fact that I no longer had anyone to keep up the facade for or just the fact that alone had much more meaning now, but it hit me hard.

I slid down the wall of the shower and let the tears take me. I knew it was better to cry now and get it over than to attempt to hold it in and have them burst out randomly later. Not only that but I was never the best at controlling my emotions. My anger issues that got me sent to the 11th squad proved that.

As much as I didn't want to admit it anymore, I loved Renji. I trusted him with everything and, until today, thought he loved me back. I always knew that Renji had never gotten over Rukia. I knew how much it hurt him when she chose Ichigo and not him. I knew that he probably would never feel the same way about anyone else, but I hoped. I hoped that he loved me too. I didn't care that it wasn't the same, but I hoped it was enough. Apparently, I had always been wrong. It was never enough. I was just there to fill the void she had left. Once I was gone, he needed someone else to fill that hole and he didn't hesitate to replace me.

It angered me that he could cause me to be like this. I hated crying. I hated showing weakness of any kind. I liked being strong and always in control. I could handle all sorts of physical pain and yet I was crippled by emotional trauma. I hated that he was able to do this to me. I didn't want anyone to have this kind of power over me, least of all him.

I wasn't sure when the water turned cold but I was forced back into the present by Shuuhei banging on the door.

"Akako, are you alright in there?"

Quickly I stood, ran my face under the water one last time and turned it off. I hurriedly wrapped myself in a towel and opened the door to assure him I was fine. I would much rather come out of the bathroom in a towel than have him come in and see the mess I was on the floor in the shower. I knew there would be no point in trying to hide the fact that I was crying from him, so I barely attempted to compose myself.

"I'm fine, it just all hit me at once. I'm sorry I made you worry...again."

I looked up to his face and could tell he wanted to correct me for apologizing again. Very lightly he touched my cheek and wiped away the tear that was currently making its path there. With his other arm he pulled my dripping form into a tight hug that I suddenly realized I desperately needed. It was comforting to be held by him and know that at least someone still cared. I could feel his chest rumble as he spoke.

"I wanted to give you as much time as you needed in the shower, but I knew you must've run out of hot water a while ago. I debated checking up on you for a while. I figured I didn't need you getting hypothermia on top of everything else."

I could feel him chuckle at the end and buried my face in his chest to keep from muttering another thank you. His smell was soothing and familiar. It had been a long time since we had been anywhere near this close to each other, and even longer since he hugged me, but he still had the same smell. Back in the academy it was okay for us to be close but as time went on it was easier not to. Any physical contact, no matter how non-sexual, was always taken the wrong way by our significant others at the time. It became easier to stop hugging, and touching at all for that matter, than to explain that there was nothing besides friendship between us. I was glad that in the time since the academy, the feeling of his arms hadn't changed. We were both stronger and older but were still just as comforting as they used to be.

I was sad when he released me but glad to see my tears had finally stopped. I heard him laugh again as he realized that I was still standing, soaking wet, in a towel. He told me to get dressed before leaving and shutting the door behind himself. I slipped into the oversized clothes he had left on the bed for me. I was drowning in fabric. Shuuhei was at least a foot taller than me so I was expecting whatever he found to come nowhere close to fitting, but it was a lot different to actually see it on.

After some creative adjusting and rolling, I got the outfit to stay somewhat on and was no longer in the danger of tripping on the pants. I wanted to brush my hair, but I knew that with his short hair he would have no use for a brush. I gave up and went with running my fingers through my auburn locks. It didn't work quite as well, but it was better than nothing.

When I was done I went and joined Shuuhei in the kitchen, where he forced me to eat even though I had no appetite. He told me that I would regret it if I didn't eat and I knew he was right. I gave him the short version of what happened, and he didn't press me for details. I knew he was one of the few who wouldn't force me to talk about it and I was glad that I was staying with him and not someone else tonight.

Once we were done eating and cleaning up he suggested that I should go to bed. I wasn't sure what time it actually was but I was exhausted and I knew he could tell. I was ready for my much needed rest when he suggested that I take his bed.

"Shuuhei, I'm not taking your bed from you. I'm fine sleeping on the couch."

"No, you need the bed more than I do tonight. You're the guest here so you should be treated well."

"I'm the guest, which means I get the _guest_ room. Or considering your lack there of, the couch."

"No, you're sleeping in the bed. Besides, I have to leave early to get things done for my squad. I don't want to wake you up when I leave in the morning. If you're on the couch I won't be able to avoid it. Plus, on my way there I could get you a fresh uniform and get your zanpaktou from your apartment, all without disturbing you."

"Shuuhei, you have done enough for me, just sleep in your damn bed."

"No, the bed's all yours."

"Well, I'm not sleeping in the bed, so you can have it."

"Fine, you can sleep on the couch and I'll sleep on the floor."

The argument continued on like that for another ten minutes before I gave up, defeated, and curled up in the bed with Shuuhei planning to raid my apartment for me in the morning. I was waiting for the tears to return once I was alone again and left with my thoughts, but they didn't. Everything smelt like Shuuhei and again the scent help comfort me. It wasn't as good as actually having him there with me, but the smell was just enough to let me drift, peacefully, to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

So late happy birthday to shesings56! I told her I'd get this up for her birthday but couldn't manage to write the second half. So I'm only a week late. Sorry that it seems like it just kinda ends, but I couldn't think of a better way to do it and if I didn't end it there it was gonna be reaaaaallllly long. So yeah...enjoy D

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Chapter 3:

I woke in the morning with the sun hitting my face from the wrong side of the room. I was disoriented for a moment before I realized where I was and what got me here. I pulled the blankets back over my head and hoped that maybe if I went back to sleep I would wake up back in my bed and everything would be back to normal. Of course that did absolutely nothing for me. When I opened my eyes again I was still in the same room, in the same bed and all the events of the previous day had still occurred.

I gave up on trying to reverse time and got out of bed. I went in search of some form of caffeine but stopped when I got to the living room. On the table next to the chair was a clean, perfectly folded shihaksho with a note addressed to me on top. I laughed when I saw just how neatly it was laid out and remembered just how anal Shuuhei could get about things like his uniforms. I unfolded the paper and read his loose scrawl.

_Akako,_

_Sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up. As you can see, I got you a new shihasho. Your zanpaktou is by the door. Im sending a messenger to the 11__th__ squad so Kenpachi will know in advance why you didn't report to him yesterday. He'll probably be expecting you this afternoon. Feel free to come back here later if you're still not ready to go back or if you want someone to come with you._

_Shuuhei_

_PS: Caffeine's in the cabinet on the left._

I smiled at the last line, he knew me too well. I replaced the note and headed towards my destination. After I had around four cups of tea in me I retrieved the pile from the living room and went to get dressed. I longed for the coffee I had gotten oh so addicted to in the real world but Shuuhei did always have the best tea. I was going to have to remember to get coffee from the real world at some point.

I stripped out of the much oversized pants and shirt and replaced them with my much better fitting and much more familiar attire. I dropped my borrowed clothes with the rest of Shuuhei's laundry and attempted to conquer my hair. I knew I wasn't going to find a brush in this apartment, there was no need for one with his hair. I settled for running my fingers though my waves and left it at that.

I grabbed my zanpaktou and stepped outside. I debated going straight to see Captain Zaraki but instead decided to go to the 10th squad offices instead. I desperately needed a brush and did not want to start my day with a visit to my bedroom. I knew Matsumoto would have a brush with her and would be more than happy to help me tame the mane that I call my hair.

I knocked lightly before opening the door to her office. I walked in to see Matsumoto, looking very surprised, popping back up in her chair. I heard her shut the bottom drawer with her foot and followed by the very distinguishable sound of the clanking of bottles.

"OH, Aka-chan! You scared me! I thought you were Hitsugaya-Taicho!" With that she placed the sake bottle back on her desk. She stood and walked around her desk so that she was standing directly in front of me. Her voice got much more serious when she spoke again, "Is everything alright Akako? I heard about Renji..." She trailed off and I could tell se was trying to gauge my reaction.

"I'm fine. Hisagi found me and let me stay the night. Hopefully what he saw was the worst of it."

"Oh Aka-chan, come here." With that, she grabbed me and attempted to suffocate me with her chest.

"Matsumoto...please...air...can't...breathe." I gasped out. I pushed off her and she finally got the message.

"Oh, sorry. Are you sure you're okay? You know you can talk to me if you want to."

"I know and yes I'm fine. Hisagi's helped a lot, but you know I always keep you in mind if I need a female opinion."

"Well I'm glad you're alright. Oh, come sit and have some sake with me. Why are you here anyways?"

"Sake? Rangiku it is before noon and I still need to go meet with my captain. I can't be drunk for that. I didn't come here to drink with you either. I just need to borrow a brush so my hair looks less ridiculous."

"Oh come on, just one cup won't hurt you." She giggled while pouring us both some of the sake. She forced it into my hand before continuing, "I'm sure Zaraki won't mind. I know Ikkaku drinks on the job all the time."

"Fine, just this one, but that's it. I just need you to help me do my hair and then I'm leaving."

"Don't be such a party pooper. I'm sure you could use a good drink. I know I would if I was you. Then again I can always use a good drink." She laughed and took a swig straight from the bottle. It was obvious that she had been drinking for a while already. I was amazed that her captain hadn't killed her yet.

"Matsumoto, please focus. Where is your brush? That's all I need." I was starting to regret coming here.

"OOO, can I do your hair? You have such pretty hair. Please let me play with it." She emphasized her point by giving me her best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, just don't take too long."

"YAY! Oops...that was a close one, they almost came out."

She tucked herself the rest of the way back into her shirt and I dropped my face into my hands. I should have just gone to Zaraki. It didn't matter what my hair looked like in the 11th. Unless I ran into Yumichika no one would probably even notice that I hadn't brushed it. Then again Matsumoto was making me feel better. I could feel the sake working at my nerves and was glad that I didn't have to be so controlled. I also loved the feeling of people playing with my hair. If done right someone touching my hair could put me to sleep, or cause the complete opposite. Right now the feeling was pretty relaxing and I was having all I could do to stay awake.

I wasn't sure how but by the time I left I was buzzed and well on my way to tipsy and my hair was twisted and braided into an elaborate up-do that was far from functional. After a few shots she had gotten me to talk about Renji. She already knew most of the story but wanted to hear it from me. She also needed me to fill in details since the version she got was full of gaping wholes. I gave her my version and attempted to stay away from anything that would set off my emotions too much. I knew Matsumoto would be fine if I cried, I'm pretty sure she was expecting it, but I did not want to cry again. I didn't want him to be able to do that to me anymore.

I left while I could still stand and before my tears took me over. I rushed to the 11th to see my captain while I could still control myself. Zaraki-Taicho was on his way out in search of a battle when I got there. He quickly told me to enjoy my week rest and then took off. I knew he wouldn't mention anything other than my duties even if he knew. I had completely forgotten that I was scheduled for rest though. The week off was normal procedure for someone who had been on duty for as long as me so I had no idea how I hadn't realized it earlier.

I left the 11th and wasn't sure what to do with myself. I was ready to be assigned to some sort of work. I was planning on having that take my mind off of everything for the rest of the day. I was even willing to do the paperwork that I knew my division was behind on. Yumichika and I had taken to doing all the reports when we realized neither of our commanding officers were doing them. I knew he would've been thrilled if I did some of them, but instead I was left to my own devices and essentially told to go home. There was no way in hell I was going home. I was not prepared for that.

I wandered until I found myself in the woods that were usually used for training. There was no one around so I decided to attempt a conversation with my zanpaktou. I sat, leaning against a large tree, and placed the short sword in front of me. I closed my eyes and tried to relax and then called out to her.

"Kiyohime."

_Yes, Akako? How are you feeling? A lot has happened._

I was pulled into my inner world and the giant dragon curled around me. Her beautiful scales reflected the light in a brilliant pattern. Her voice reverberated in the air around me and the smoke drifting from her nose lingered.

"I'd prefer if we didn't talk about that right now."

_If we're not talking about that what did you come here to talk about?_

"I'm not sure. I just needed to do something and I wasn't sure what...so I ended up here. I have the week off and figured I shouldn't be alone."

_Because of what happened. You don't want to be alone because you think you'll think about it again. You came here to bother me because you don't want to think about him._

"Exactly, now why are you bringing it up if you know that already?"

_Because I know you better than you do. You need to think about it. It's not going to go away if you ignore it. Pretending it never happened doesn't help. I say you kill him._

"What?! How is killing him supposed to help?! Killing Renji will only get me in trouble. Major trouble. It's also not going to help my emotional state at all. That would only fuck up my mind more."

_You've thought about killing him. That's what I would do. I liked the idea where we got to torture him first._

"Just stop. I only thought about killing him at first. I would never do it now. Why must you be so psychotic and murderous all the time?"

_You tell me. I am an extension of you._

"True, but I am nowhere as much of a psychotic bitch as you are."

_Oh don't say that. You know you like fighting and the high you get from battle as much as I do._

"Yeah, but I'm not into cold blooded murder."

_How about just crippling him for me? Or maybe just a little torture? How I would love to cut into that inked flesh of his. I can imagine what it would feel like to show up his Zabimaru. He has such a mouth on him. Especially that snake. He has no idea how to speak to a woman._

"No. I am not maiming, torturing, crippling Renji or any other idea you can come up with. Just be happy that you will no longer have to deal with Zabimaru. I don't plan on being anywhere near either Renji or his Zanpaktou any time soon."

_Fine I guess it's not a complete loss. Besides I like Kazeshini much more anyways. Do you plan on spending more time with him?_

"I guess. I don't know. Shuuhei offered to let me stay longer if I needed to. Wait...you like Kazeshini? You don't like anyone."

_I never said that I liked Kazeshini, just that I liked him more than Zabimaru, which by the way isn't hard. He's much more tolerable company than that ape. He's a true gentleman. Besides he comes up with much more creative ways to kill someone than Zabimaru could ever get his little brain around. I guess having his brain split in two cut his intelligence too._ _Sometimes I just wished I could set his little snake tail on fire, but I knew you were fond of his Renji so I didn't._

"Yeah, I probably would've gotten mad at you. Why did you never tell me any of this before?"

_I can keep quiet if I need to. I knew you were serious about that baboon's shinigami so I didn't want to cause any trouble for you. Your problems affect me too. I don't need you worrying about something as petty as me not getting along with your lovers zanpaktou spirit. I always knew it wouldn't last, but I also knew you needed to figure that out for yourself. Besides I liked the way his hair looked when you were in bed together. It spread out like fire...or blood. You know how much I love both of those._

She curled around again and almost purred. I couldn't help the slight blush that washed over my face. Talking about being intimate with Renji with anyone, even if it was my zanpaktou spirit, made me slightly uncomfortable. She was right though. I had always loved the way his hair looked when we were in bed, maybe for different reasons than her, but I shared the feeling. My chest clenched as I remembered the last time I had seen his hair like that. It was not me it was curtained around. I was not the one with my fingers wrapped into it. I couldn't help the wave of pain that washed over me.

"I need to go."

_Don't pine_ _over him for too long. You need to grieve and get it over with, then move on. You have much better options than him. Besides I hate it when you're upset. My world gets all dark and cloudy and I don't get to shimmer in the sun._

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A/n: Kiyohime is a Japanese folklore story about a woman who falls in love with a monk. He leaves and she gets angry, follows him, and turns into a dragon. He hides in the bell of the temple and she melts it, killing them both. There are a bunch of different versions of the story but this is the one I liked most and felt worked the best. And don't worry, I have no intentions of killing Renji.

Also Kazeshini is the name of Shuuhei's zanpaktou. If you don't read the manga you wouldn't know this. It was just revealed last week in chapter 324.

Also sorry for any typos, I didn't edit this as much as I usually do. Please tell me if you find anything. As always please review. Thanks D


	4. Chapter 4

So yay chapter 4 is finally up! I seriously had most of this writen in the same week as the last chapter but couldn't get inspired to finish it. Sorry if the end of the chapter sucks at all or needs editing but it's 5:30 in the AM right now so I figure I should go to sleep. Just tell me if you find any errors and I'll fix them and as always please review. Thx D. Oh and is anyone else bothered as much as I am that Shuuhei's name is spelt wrong in the character search list? I'm fine with it being spelt with one or two "u"s or the u with the line over it, but where did they get a "y" from? Sorry mini-rant lol.

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Chapter 4:**

I wasn't sure how it happened but somehow I ended up in the 9th squad building. I guess I knew I had no where else to go and I hoped Shuuhei would make me feel better again. I knocked on his office door and waited for him to answer before I opened it.

"Akako? Is everything alright?"

"No, I'm drunk, I have the week off and not even my zanpaktou will leave me alone about Renji." I dropped onto the couch with a sigh before continuing, "Shuu, make it better." Yeah, I was definitely drunk. I never called him Shuu normally and didn't usually sound this whiney.

"First off, how'd you get drunk?"

"Matsumoto. She did my hair too." I sat up and noticed that by laying down I had mushed most of her work. "Oops. I ruined it."

"Of course it was Matsumoto." He mumbled under his breath. "Okay, just lay back down while I finish these papers and then I'll take you home."

"I don't wanna go home."

"Don't worry I wasn't planning on taking you back to your home. You can stay with me again."

"Okay, thanks Shuu."

I saw him shake his head before I laid back down and closed my eyes. As I started to drift off I felt him lay a blanket over me and I could've sworn I felt him press his lips to my hair, but I might've dreamt that.

He woke me later when he was ready to leave. I must've been out longer than I thought at first because when we got outside it was already getting dark. We walked slowly back to his apartment but my tired and drunken state was making that increasingly more difficult. Shuuhei eventually gave up on letting me walk on my own and ended up piggy-backing my the rest of the way. I didn't make it very far before I fell asleep again.

When I woke again I was tucked into Shuuhei's bed, staring at a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen. I tried to remember how I got here but nothing came to me. The last thing I remembered was going back to see Matsumoto to take her up on her offer of more sake and I was almost positive that was the reason.

I fought with the child safety cap few seconds too long before I finally forced it open and took two. I stood and headed for the other room, taking the water with me. I found Shuuhei sitting at the kitchen counter wearing a pair of glasses and going over a stack of papers. He took a sip of his tea and then greeted me.

"Morning. How's your head?"

"It's been better. What time is it?"

"Around eleven."

"Don't you have to go in today?"

"No, they can deal without me for the day. I've trained them well. Besides it's not like I would be doing anything there I can't do here." He gestured at the papers in front of him.

"I guess. You don't have to stay here just because of me you know."

"Who said I was staying for you? Besides apparently I do. Matsumoto getting you wasted again wouldn't be the best idea. And really what were you planning on doing?"

"I don't know, but you don't have to do all this. You're too good to me. I don't deserve you."

"You're a better person than you think you are. Besides, no one deserves to go through what you did. You're handling it better than I expected. I'm just here to pick up the pieces and keep you from killing anyone. I'm pretty sure at this point though that if you were going to kill Renji it would've happened already."

I smiled a little at his comment. "Thank you."

"You've been saying that way too much lately. Stop thanking me."

"Fine is there something I can do to show my appreciation?"

"I guess you could get me some more tea, maybe pour yourself some, and pull up a chair and start reading some of these reports for me."

"I guess I could do that."

I did as he said and got us both some fresh tea and sat in the chair across from him. I pulled my knees up to my chest and took the report from the top of the pile he slid across to me. It was odd to read organized reports from a squad that actually valued these pieces of paper. I had gotten so used to having to read through Yachiru's doodles that it didn't feel right to actually be able to easily read the writing. If she wasn't so damn cute Yumichika and I might've gotten mad at her for ruining all of the reports, not that yelling at her would make any difference.

I slowly sipped my tea and savored the feeling of the warm liquid traveling down my throat. I read over the reports I was given and made notes wherever I found a mistake or something that needed to be looked into. They were all mostly routine documents. There were countless accounts of patrols and a number of minor injuries. I took my time reading the reports of complaints. Like most squads the complaints were against an unranked, usually new member of the squad who overstepped their boundaries. I put these in a separate pile for Shuuhei to deal with personally. I got up to get myself more tea when my cup was empty and Shuuhei spoke.

"A message came for you while you were asleep."

"What'd it say? Did I destroy something important while I was drunk?"

"No, you didn't destroy anything. Your captain's a different story though. Apparently he found a good fight. He's in the best mood I've seen him in for a while now."

"So why'd they send me a message to tell me this."

"Well that's where the bad news comes in."

"Oh joy, bad news. I knew there had to be bad news."

"Yeah, well Zaraki-Taicho happened to be in a residential area when he found his fight."

"Lemme guess...it was my residential area?"

"Yeah. Your house, along with the rest of the block are completely demolished. Construction is going to start on rebuilding the area as soon as they finish the work they're doing now."

"So what, I'm homeless now?"

"Technically, but I have no intention to kick you out anytime soon. You can stay here until your home is rebuilt, if you want."

"Thanks, but I don't want you to feel like you have to do any of this for me. I can stay with other people you know."

"Who Rangiku? You'd never be sober. You're not going to make any progress in getting over Renji if you're wasted the whole time. You need to grieve and you need to be sober to do that. I support a good drink as much as anyone but going to Matsumoto for any extended period of time would be a horrible idea."

"I have other friends besides her."

"What do you plan on staying with Yumichika and Ikkaku? I doubt being around a happy, healthy relationship is going to help. That's just going to make you more upset that yours is over. You're just going to feel more alone and you'll spiral down."

"Fine, I could..."

"You're not staying in your office either." He cut me off. "Akako, just stay here. I really don't mind. Besides, we both know I have plenty of experience with bad relationships. I've also seen you go through breakups before. I think I have a better idea than anyone what to expect."

"Fine," I resigned, "but you're sleeping in the bed tonight. You shouldn't have to suffer for having me here and I've already kept you out of your bed for two nights."

"We'll figure something out."


	5. Chapter 5

By around two in the afternoon I had found myself sitting on a grassy knoll watching two others fight. Soi Fon and Yoruichi to be exact. I had been wandering around the seretei, attempting to entertain myself while Shuuhei went to turn in the papers we finished, when I came across them. I decided to watch their fight, as entertained by watching a good fight as participating in one.

Yoruichi was toying with Soi Fon. She was holding back and every time Soi Fon missed she would make a joke at her expense. Soi Fon was getting progressively more angry and more desperate because of it. She had managed a few good hits on Yoruichi but nothing that was going to take her down.

The fight was interrupted when a messenger from the 2nd squad arrived. Something important had come up that required Soi Fon's immediate attention. I could see her debate staying to spend more time with Yoruichi but her role as a captain was more important and she left with a sigh, leaving Yoruichi and me alone on the hill.

"So ya' up for a fight?"

I debated Yoruichi's question a second before deciding that I couldn't turn down a good fight. I stood, unsheathed my zanpakutou and waited for her to attack. My time in the real world had taught me that she wasn't a fan of making the first move but I knew I could force her into it.

Before long she had forced me into shikai form. It felt good to let go and fight. To lose myself in the battle and not have to think of anything but where I should aim my next attack. I could tell Yoruichi was holding back still and should have been able to avoid many of the attacks I landed, but I wasn't in the mood to care. We continued this way, with Yoruichi dodging my attacks and not attempting to attack back. I knew I was getting carried away but the release felt amazing.

Suddenly I was pulled out of the battle by the feeling of familiar reiatsu. Renji's reiatsu. And he was getting closer. I froze, not sure what to do. I had intended to avoid him for as long as possible. I was planning to wait until I didn't want to kill him as much to come in any form of contact with him, but apparently he wasn't going to allow me that.

He came into view and I knew it was too late for me to run. I heard him speak but his words didn't register. My mind raced and my heart tried to beat its way out of my chest. Sounds all combined and my body shut off. I was frozen.

A rough hand touched my arm and my body reflexively hit it away. I screamed at him, unable to control my anger longer. I could feel his touch burning into my skin.

"Oh I see you're not over that yet..."

Are you fucking kidding me? He expects me to be over it already and forgiven him. It hasn't even been half a week yet.

"Don't be so damn full of yourself." I looked away from him only to notice he had brought a female shinigami with him. She looked terrified but I didn't care. "Who's this your latest fuck buddy?"

"Please don't be such a sour bitch about this. And no, she's here so you can teach her...Akako."

My body tensed at my name. Him saying it sounded more foul to my ears than any curse he could have uttered. I couldn't believe he had come here to ask me a favor. He wanted me to do something for him when he should just be happy I hadn't tried to murder him yet.

"Now enlighten me as to why I would do that for you jerk off."

"No, it's not for me. It's for Kuchiki-taicho." He flashed me a smile and I had all I could to keep from slapping it off his face for good. Of course it wasn't Renji's idea to come harass me. It was his precious Kuchiki-taicho.

"Ahh, sucking up to the captain again I see. I always thought you loved him more than any woman."

"Someone's just jealous I'm not sleeping in their bed anymore." He retorted and then laughed. The fucker laughed about us not being together anymore. Wrong move.

My control was already slipping and now it was gone completely. I could feel the manic laughter shaking my body. I'd let Kiyohime have her fun with this one. I pointed myself at my new "trainee" in an attempt to not murder Renji "by accident", since I knew that would get me in heaps of trouble, and let go. I gave control over to my zanpakutouu and lost myself in the fight. I saw the slices happen and the blood flow but it was if I was watching a movie, not staring in it.

I went to swing again when powerful reiatsu froze me to the ground. I looked up to see Captain Kuchiki standing between me and my prey. His captain status meant nothing to me in this state and if it wasn't for his powerful reiatsu I wouldn't have paused at all. He scolded me for going too far as he took the girl away and I muttered a sarcastic apology.

I stayed that way until I could register the world around me again. Slowly the realization set in of what just happened. What I had just done. Fuck, I really managed to screw this one up. I just almost murdered a new recruit just because I was mad at Renji. I needed to get to the 4th squad fast and make sure she was still alive, hopefully Kuchiki-taicho is having a good day and won't kill me when I get there.

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Author's Note:

Okay so I have to appoligize a lot for this taking so long to put up. I'm currently studying abroad in Japan and that's taking up all my time. Before that I was working everyday to save money and before that I was taking all art classes. I'm sorry for making excuses but the truth is I haven't had time to sit down and write. Also I want to say that I hate this chapter with a passion. I could not write it for some reason but it had to be done for the story to continue. I can guarantee you that the next chapters will not take as long for me to write. Also just to let you know I currently have 11 pages in word written for this story past this point (in no particular order) so when those parts do come around they are written already. Hope you enjoy this chapter more than I do and please tell me what you think. Also check out my friends character's side of this story. Search Allidesu411 in authors to find her.


	6. Chapter 6

How could I let this happen? How could I let myself go that far? I almost killed a new recruit just because of my own personal vendetta against Renji. It wasn't even her who wronged me. That hadn't stopped me though. I knew she stood no chance against me and yet still attacked. I let out all my anger against Renji on her. She was just an innocent bystander and I almost took her life. How could I be so horrible. How could I let myself be so heartless. I didn't even try to train her, I just attacked.

At least she didn't die. I had to keep telling myself that. She was still alive. In a coma, but still alive. Unohana-taicho had reassured me that she would be okay, maybe not today but soon. She tried to convince me everything would be alright. I let her think she helped but she barely did. I let her redress my wounds, that I had managed to reopen, and pretended to listen to her talk but my mind was in a downward spiral. I couldn't believe how horrible a person I had become. To almost kill an innocent, new recruit. Before me she was probably eager to learn and excited to fight. I had ruined that now.

I sat in her room and listened to the beeping of various monitors. She looked so fragile. Kuchiki-taicho was there with me, though he had made every effort to ignore my presence. He acted as if he was the only one in the room. I guess I would rather this than the anger he should've felt towards me for attempting to murder his new recruit. Then again I wanted someone to be mad at me. No one blamed me. No one was mad. They all felt bad for me. I didn't want them to pity me.

I shifted and paced, unable to stay still. Time seemed to crawl by at an unbearable pace. The monitors attached to the girl counted out the time like a metronome only making it seem longer. Captain Kuchiki's silence left me to my thoughts, a horrible place for me right now. He could have left and I wouldn't have noticed. The only disturbances to this silence were the 4th squad members coming to check on her. Was she too new to even have friends?

I could feel a familiar presence and turned to see Mikazuki staring at me through the window into the poor girl's room. I could see the horror in her eyes at the sight but it was laced with pity and anger. She held my stare before bowing her head. I returned the bow, knowing everything I needed from that silent conversation. She understood. She didn't blame me either but she knew I wouldn't want any pity.

Captian Kuchiki joined her at the window and I could tell he was giving his subordinate orders. Apparently he had left me alone. After their brief conversation he returned to his seat next to the girl's bed, as silent as ever. He closed his eyes and I knew he wasn't actually planning to sleep, he just didn't want to be disturbed. The only one that would be willing to wake him would be Unohana and she wouldn't bother him with anything trivial.

I could feel that Renji had joined Mikazuki at the window. I didn't have to look to feel his presence burn at the edges of my reiatsu. Deep down I still wanted to murder him but I had other priorities that came first at the moment. I could feel Mikazuki's anger for me and I knew she would be willing to kill him if I asked her.

I stared out the small window to the outside world and tried to shut myself off. Tried to ignore the burn of Renji's reitasu and how his simple presence was making me angry again. I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing. I focused on the beeping monitors. I let their rhythm distract me, and ignored the reminder they were of earlier. It was just me and the monitors metronomic beeping.

My body tensed as a hand touched my bare arm. My eyes shot open and I took in the world around me again. I let myself relax when I realized who it was with me in the room. Shuuhei had come to check on me. Of course he would. I'm sure he was supposed to be doing something else but because of me he had to come here.

"Are you okay?"

I couldn't even process how to answer that question. I wasn't injured. There wasn't any blood so the answer should be yes, but I was far from okay. I shook my head and met his eyes, knowing he could see the pain in mine. For some reason his mere presence made me want to let go. I could feel the emotions coming to the surface and had to struggle to fight them back.

"Come on you should get out of here for a bit."

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up. I did this to her, I'm going to stay here until she's better."

"Unohana-taicho says she's going to wake up soon but not today. You are not going to miss anything by coming for a walk. You need to clear your head. I can tell."

I didn't verbally admit my defeat but still let him lead me out the door. He made sure to stand between Renji and me as I left the room. He lead me through the building and out the front door. He continued walking in silence. I was glad for this. I didn't want to talk in front of all the people on the streets. I knew where he was going without asking. He was going to where we always went when either of us wanted to be alone. Soukyoku Hill. Everyone else was too depressed by the place to go their unless they had to. We would be alone to talk.

When we got there he turned and faced me. I knew he was waiting for me to start. I fought with the wording in my head. I continued walking so I was facing away from him.

"I'm such a horrible person."

"Why would you ever say that?"

"You saw her. That's all because of me. No one else laid a hand on her but me. Because I can't control myself she's in a coma."

"You know that wasn't entirely your fault."

"Are you going to pity me too? That's all I've gotten all day."

"No I know better than that. You won't accept anyone's pity."

"Good."

We were silent for a minute before he spoke again.

"So what happened?"

"I don't know. I don't remember."

"You must remember something." At this point he was standing slightly bent down in front of me so he could look me in the eyes.

"I was fighting Yoruichi and then they showed up. Renji brought her to me. I didn't think it was going to be that bad seeing him again but it was. Everything came back worse then ever. Then that asshole had the nerve to comment that I wasn't over it yet. Like it happened so long ago. I don't remember past that. I was pissed. I let Kiyohime take over."

I didn't notice that I had started to cry until Shuuhei brushed a tear off my cheek. I couldn't believe I was crying again. I never cried and now I had cried more than once in a matter of days. I sat on the ground and pulled my knees to my chest. I let the tears come, too exhausted to try to stop them. Shuuhei squatted in front of me and rubbed circles on my arm until my tears passed.

"Do you feel any better now?"

"I guess. You know I hate crying." I laughed as I wiped the remainder of the moisture from my eyes.

"Laughter is better."

"I'm only laughing because I'm uncomfortable. You should be able to tell that. I hate being this weak."

"I don't care if it's fake laughter. At least you're smiling."

He was right I was smiling. It felt nice to smile. To truly smile and not just put on a face for everyone else.

"Come one we should get back." He said as he stood. "I'm sure you want to check on Sayuri again."

I looked around and noticed it had started to get dark. We must have been there longer than I thought. He was right. Now that I realized I had been gone so long I was starting to worry again. He started leading the way back to the fourth when I stopped him.

"Hey Shuuhei. Thanks. I needed that."

"I told you to stop thanking me."

"If you don't want to be thanked stop doing things that require thanking."

He just shook his head at me and kept walking. I felt much lighter now. Hopefully that lasted after I got back to the fourth.

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A/N: Yay another update! Oh and sorry for the amount of angst in this chapter. Tell me what you think. Now I'm gonna go write my paper that's due tomorrow that I have been putting off for this.


	7. Chapter 7

I couldn't fathom the situation I had been put in. I was walking into the woods with the same girl I had found Renji with less than fifteen feet behind me. What the hell had I done to deserve repeated torture? It took all my control to stay calm. The constant captain level reiatsu was helping keep me grounded.

I had barely had time to get settled back in the fourth squad before I was forced to leave again. Captain Kuchiki had requested that I come help him break up a fight between Mikazuki and Renji. The girl, who was apparently Miku's roomate, had been with him. Shuuhei joined to make sure I "behaved" myself and Captain Kuchiki put it. That is what brought us to the current position. I kept myself calm for Miku's sake. As much as I may have enjoyed her killing Renji, I didn't want her to get killed in the process.

We reached the clearing they had created and took our positions in seconds. Shuuhei and I stood our ground in front of Renji. He went to move to attack again and I placed my blade against his throat.

"Touch her again bastard and I kill you."

I could hear Kiyohime rejoicing at the thought. She was urging me to press harder and cut into his skin. She wanted to feel his blood run down her blade. My hand shook as she willed me forward and I had to breathe to keep myself in control. I knew Shuuhei was watching me very closely, making sure I didn't do anything stupid. I shifted back on my weight and removed the blade from his skin. He rose to his feet and looked me directly in my eyes.

"This is between me and my friend you bitch. Now get out of my way!"

I barely had time to blink before I was on the ground. I was flailing to get free from Shuuhei's hold. Any self control I was pretending to have was gone. I knew I had landed a few well placed hits on Shuuhei but he still refused to let me move. I now understood the reason Kuchiki-taicho had brought Hitsuga-taicho and Rangiku. They were currently busy keeping Renji at bay. Captain Kuchiki yelled and released the force of his spiritual pressure on us and I was frozen in place. I looked up in time to see Miku slump against the captain. She was in bad shape.

Under captains orders we brought her back to the fourth. Uta and I helped her walk and Shuuehi kept us from arguing on the way there. As soon as we arrived she was swept away by the fourth squad and we were left to wait. To say the air between us was tense was an understatement.

It was a full twenty-four hours before she woke up. The time seemed to drag and whatever truce Uta and I had was long gone before our wait was over. Our time went from bouts of screaming to tense silence and back again more times than I could count. Shuuhei always stepped in before the fight got too heated but I could tell he was getting worn out. He had begun to just tone us out and only stop us when absolutely necessary. We had been warned to keep quiet by members of the fourth on numerous occasions but that generally only bought them around an hour of silence.

I felt bad for ignoring the new recruit that was only a few doors down due to me but Miku meant much more to me than her. I had only just met Sayuri, and while it was my fault she was here, I had known Miku much, much longer. She was my first priority. Once she was awake and I knew she would be fine I could go back to wallowing in Sayuri's room.

Uta and I were fighting again when she woke up. So much so that we hadn't even noticed she was awake until she screamed at us to shut up. Apparently, our fighting had not only woken her, but also drawn the attention of Captain Unohana. When she entered the room I knew any arguments I may have had were ended. I did not want to get on the bad side of the woman responsible for healing my wounds, especially as often as I needed her.

We gave her the space she needed to examine Mikazuki and inform her of the damage. As soon as the captain left the room Uta and I fought to get back to Miku's side. I pushed Uta out of the way to stand directly in front of Miku and question her about what happened. I had a good idea it had to do with me but I wanted to hear her story. Questioning Miku turned out to be extremely unproductive. She told me what I had already assumed and I could tell she was leaving something out. I knew I could get her to tell me just what but here was not the place. My curiosity would have to wait.

It wasn't long before Captain Kuchiki entered the room. He must have been informed that she was awake and seeing how he was only down the hall it didn't take him long to get there. He very quickly kicked us out of the room so that he could speak to Miku in private, advising me to go home and sleep. When he said it I realized that I had been in this building for almost two full days with no breaks for sleep.

"Come on Akako, let's go home." Shuuhei drew my attention back to him.

"I can't. I said I wouldn't leave until Sayuri woke up. She's not awake yet."

"She's not your responsibility you know. You can leave. Captain Kuchiki will be there when she wakes up."

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up."

"I forgot how stubborn you could be. Are you at least going to sleep?"

"Maybe..."

"Okay, I'm coming with you to make sure you sleep."

"You don't have to babysit me."

"No, apparently I do. I know you too well. If I let you go in there alone you are going to just start hating yourself again and I know you won't sleep. Come on."

Not much had changed in Sayuri's room except for the fact that the lights had been dimmed. It was almost eerie how quiet it was. Shuuhei and I sat on the small couch against the wall opposite her bed. The silence continued until Shuuhei broke it.

"Sleep Akako."

"Don't treat me like I'm five. Besides where am I supposed to sleep? This couch isn't that big, especially with you on it too."

"You're not that tall. And you're starting to get cranky like you're five."

"I am not cranky..._giant_"

I laid down in the best position I could come up with, which left me using Shuuhei's leg as a pillow. He began absent mindlessly running his fingers through my loose hair.

"Shuuhei?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I elbowed you in the face earlier...and kicked you in the knee."

"Haha, it's alright. I knew what I was getting into."

"Okay." I laid there for a few more minutes. "Shuuhei?"

"Yes Akako?"

"Thanks for not letting me kill Renji."

"Stop talking and go to sleep."

"Alright."

"I can see that your eyes aren't closed."

I rolled my eyes before closing them tight.

"I saw that too."

I _humphed _and hit him in the side. The room fell silent again except for the constant beeping and humming of machines. I let myself relax and focused on just the feeling of Shuuhei's calloused fingers in my hair. Once I stopped thinking and let myself go I realized just how exhausted I actually was. I had been awake for almost forty-eight hours. Forty-eight _very_ long hours. It wasn't long before I lost myself to very much needed sleep.

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Wooo~ new chapter. Okay to be honest this took much longer than it should have to write. I'm sorry but my inspiration has ADD. I keep writing other things. I wrote 2 completely unrelated one shots in the time it took me to write this. Also all my ideas for this didn't want to be for this chapter. If it makes you feel any better I have almost 20 pages written past this point for this and have 3 other chapters written in my head. Anyways if you want a more detailed idea of what happened I suggest you go check out allidesu411's page and read her fic that goes with this. She's writing from Mikazuki's POV. As always please tell me what you think~


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